The Journey To Save A Princess
by SilvCyanide
Summary: A freak accident involving a jewel, the moon and KID sends Shinichi tumbling down the metaphorical rabbit hole to end up in a dark forest with no idea on how to get home - or if he could even go home for the matter. Added to that, he's got a pair of brown ears and a tail and KID has somehow sprouted wings! This certainly can't be happening to him… Right? /OC warning!/
1. Prologue

**The Journey To Save A Princess: Prologue**

 **Notes: Remember how I said it would be established KaiShin? I'm going to scrap that idea since I literally have no idea how to go with that. So now you have a story where they fall in love slowly over the course of the whole thing! Yay!**

 **Edit: Fixed it up** _ **a lot**_ **\- as in, if the unedited chapter was compared to this one, it would be like a four out of ten. Not even joking. I deleted some awkwards paragraphs, added a thousand words or so and made the interaction between Shinichi and KID - as well as their relationship - seem more natural and not forced because honestly, knowing Shinichi's personality, he would end up befriending Kaitou KID after** _ **two**_ **years. This is a person who entrusts his life to a previous member of the organisation which is trying to kill his and who made the poison that shrunk him after all.**

 **Summary:** A freak accident involving a jewel, the moon and KID sends Shinichi tumbling down the metaphorical rabbit hole to end up in a dark forest with no idea on how to get home - or if he could even go home for the matter. Added to that, he's got a pair of brown ears and a tail and KID has somehow sprouted wings! This certainly can't be happening to him… Right?

 **Warnings:** Shounen Ai/Yaoi/KaiShin/OCs

 **Started: 16/11/15**

 **Completed: 18/11/15**

 **Revised: 19/11/15**

 **X**

The howling wind, the freezing snow and a chase leading up to the rooftop of a museum somewhere far away from his house is definitely his ideal way to spend the evening. Not.

Shinichi groaned audibly as he struggled to keep his shivering to a minimum as he pushed open the door to the roof, the wind beating against the other side of the door and making his job much more strenuous than need be. Pulling his coat closer around himself, Shinichi tried to stave off the biting cold that crept down his collar and breezed across his spine the moment he stepped outside and strode over to where KID stood precariously half-on, half-off the edge, jewel in a gloved hand. He noted that the glove seemed thicker than usual though, so KID _could_ feel the cold despite jumping around and acting like it was the middle of summer. He filed it away into his mental folder of 'Things that may come in handy in the future'.

KID slightly pivoted his body when Shinichi pushed open the door to the roof, watching him out of one shadowed, indigo eye and waited until he walked behind him before speaking up, a wistful yet hopeful tone in his voice.

"Hey tantei- _kun_ , do you know of the saying 'to open Pandora's Box'?"

Shinichi stared suspiciously at KID, wondering why he was suddenly talking about Pandora of all things during a heist, out on the roof, pelted by snow with a detective. Was it a trap or some improvisation of KID to allow him to escape easier?

As if reading his thoughts, KID stepped away from the edge and held up both hands as if to assure Shinichi that he wasn't going to do anything, though when it came to KID, it didn't really mean anything considering the sheer amount of gadgets tucked away up his sleeves; the gesture was much appreciated though.

A hand creeping towards his tranquilizer wristwatch, Shinichi straightened from his previously slightly crouched position, inclining his head to say that he had heard of Pandora before.

"'to open Pandora's Box' is usually referred to an action that initially seems to be harmless but ultimately causes severe problems. It stems from the legend of Pandora's Box where Pandora was gifted a box from Zeus but was told never to open it. Curious, Pandora defied that order and opened the box, releasing all the evils upon the world."

KID grinned, a bright, mischievous grin but somehow, it seemed unusually plastic that day, like it didn't fit properly on KID's face. Shinichi decided immediately that he hated that grin.

"Correct! Now, do you know why KID was created?"

Shinichi narrowed his eyes. KID was being unusually open tonight, even offering to reveal some information behind KID's purpose and reason for existence. It just didn't seem to fit his image of the secretive, high-profile jewel thief. He voiced this exact thought and watched KID smirk before replying with a short sentence that shocked him deeply but caused an unknown warmth to bloom in his chest.

"Because I trust you, tantei- _kun_."

Indecision rolling around inside him, Shinichi deliberated with himself for a few seconds before coming to a decision. If the well-hidden desperation in KID's eyes was real and it did show that KID wanted someone to listen to him, Shinichi would be willing to listen, on account of their… rivalry. Swallowing hard, Shinichi stared at KID with an inquisitive look on his face, the look that revealed the little boy - the irony - inside him that constantly yearned for knowledge. The look that relayed the message that he would keep KID's secret if KID was willing to reveal it to him.

KID smiled, something soft and void of the usual razor-sharp edges of his smirks or the toothiness of his grins but this time, it felt completely and utterly genuine and Shinichi decided that he liked _this_ one.

"There is a legend of a stone named Pandora, said to be a gem within another gem that, when held up to the full moon, will shine a soulful red and under the Volley Comet, cry tears of immortality under the shine of the full moon. KID's purpose is to find this stone and destroy it, to keep it away from the less… savoury people of the world, such as that organisation you helped in taking a few years back. The previous Kaitou KID had come too close to finding the gem and was eliminated."

"So is that why you only target big gems on the nights of full moons? Why there was an eight-year period between when Kaitou KID disappeared and reappeared and the sudden appearance of snipers that shoot at you? Why didn't yo-" Shinichi cut himself off, about to ask KID why he didn't go to the police. The reason was obvious, nobody would believe the existence of a gem that cried tears of immortality, and even if they did, there was still the existence of the organisation that would do whatever it takes to silence those that knew too much. Shinichi would know, he had spent two years of his life trying to - and succeeding - take such an organisation down afterall.

While he was having a mental war with himself, KID turned away from Shinichi and held the necklace to the moon from its chain, the jewel gently rotating on the other end of the golden chain and flashing green in the moonlight. When KID was about to lower his hand and sigh in disappointment at the failure, the emerald shone brighter and brighter until it looked like one of KID's flashbangs had gone off and engulfed the entire rooftop. Shinichi took a few startled steps backwards, looking away from the jewel just in time to catch the shocked gaze of KID before there was a faint sensation of having his feet swept out behind him and everything went dark.

When the officers managed to free themselves from whatever ridiculous trap that KID had set up, all they were faced with when they kicked open the door to the rooftop all the while shivering incessantly was the whispers of the winter wind and footsteps in the thin blanket of snow leading to the center of the roof with their owners nowhere in sight, seemingly having vanished into thin air.

After that, despite their best efforts, they could find no trace of the teenaged detective nor of the phantom thief he chased up to the roof.

 **X**

 _It's dark, so dark and I can't see anything and I can't feel my limbs. Where am I, what the hell is going on?_

Shinichi blinked open his eyes to face complete and total darkness, experimentally waving a hand in front of his face to see that he couldn't… well… see nor even move his hand for that matter. Made sense since there wasn't any light to be reflected off his hand into his eyes but did something happen that cause him to be permanently paralyzed? Hopefully not, he still enjoyed the mobility of his limbs, thank you very much.

His body seemed to be suspended in limbo or something akin to that, neither alive nor dead. He couldn't hear his heartbeat nor feel his pulse and it was disorientating to not have any sense of direction or time. He had no idea how many minutes, hours, days had passed. All he knew was that he seemed to be alive and all that happened was due to the gem - which was _magical_. But he had just heard of a supposed gem that could make a person immortal so who was he to judge?

 _But wait, if the gem did this to me, what happened to KID? He was the one holding the gem, so is it possible that he is in here somewhere as well?_

As he was pondering his current situation, Shinichi almost failed to notice that his surroundings were changing. Keyword: almost.

With a startled yelp that produced no sound, Shinichi found himself falling, plummeting into the darkness which was slowly turning to green as the black bled out of the surroundings. Come to think of it, he could slowly feel his limbs again but this time, the clothing his body was dressed in felt odd, like it wasn't his own. His fall sped up until the green that constantly grew brighter mixed with the black into a blur and he was glad that he hadn't been diagnosed with epilepsy.

All of a sudden with no prior indication, the darkness spat him out into a forest as a mix of scrapes and bruises, the sunlight that streamed onto the forest floor seemed to indicate that the time was still midday. Deep inside the forest, he could hear growls echoing towards him and a shiver went down his spine, the ears on top of his head laying flat against his skull as his hackles rose and his tail curled around himself. Come to think of it, why could he hear things happening so far away? Something also seemed off about himself...

Wait.

Ears?

Tail?

Shinichi jumped up in shock, regretting the quick motion as his bruised legs protested and patted his head, feeling warm, furry, _real_ ears twitching under his fingers. Another pat on his rear end led to the discovery that he did indeed have a tail and he could actually move said tail, watching it swish in the air behind him as he struggled to comprehend his current situation. Just as he was about to be overcome by hysteria - _whywasthishappeningwhyhimwhywhywhy_ \- a groan distracted him from his impending insanity and he glanced down into the shrubs to find another prone figure lying unconscious, though he seemed to be waking up.

As the mystery person sat up, Shinichi came face to face with a mirror of himself dressed in an odd looking purple shirt and black trousers, except with messy brown hair and intense, indigo eyes. The pair of indigo eyes was currently confused and unfocused and Shinichi took the chance to study this person more closely. As he categorised his facial traits and body structure, a niggling thought at the back of his brain constantly gnawed at him. What did this man - boy? - remind him of? It wasn't until the person spoke that Shinichi realised who he was.

The man looked up slowly and seemed to notice Shinichi, dazed confusion prominent on his face before it abruptly gave way to shock and a bit of fear as he stuttered out a phrase that temporarily froze Shinichi's brain functions.

"T-tantei- _kun_?"

 _KID?_

KID stood up hurriedly and Shinichi noticed belatedly that he had somehow sprouted a massive pair of pure white wings, extending somewhere from his shoulderblades and ending around his ankles. Like Shinichi, KID seemed to be able to move the addition to his body, seeing as the wings were currently twitching and flapping in his distress.

As Shinichi was about to ask KID _what the hell happened_ , the previous soft growl he had heard from deep inside the forest sounded out again, closer this time - way too close actually - and the both of them looked up just in time to see an actual _dragon_ stomp out of the brush to the side, bleeding heavily from wounds on its body and very obviously enraged. It seemed to be running away from something, seeing as it had crashed through the thick tree trunks without any care for its injuries and staggered to a stop in the small clearing that Shinichi and KID had woken up in. It was very obviously enraged if the streams of steam billowing out of its very large nostrils was any indication and it almost immediately charged towards the two of them after noticing their presence. Shinichi felt as if his feet were rooted to the ground as his skull numbed from the fear. He could face down murderers with no problem, they were at least human but an actual honest-to-God dragon? Nope, no way, not happening. He didn't even think of running away though his instincts screamed at him to, frozen by the irrational - actually, completely rational - fear that flowed through his veins like poison. He didn't have to look to the side to see that KID was in the same situation.

KID seemed to return back to himself faster than Shinichi, having the prior experience of doing death-defying stunts as an integral part of his night job - though, never a dragon - and apparently realised that _hey, I have wings, why not try to fly?_ and rolled his shoulders trying to get a good grasp on how to work his new wings. With a flourish and a sudden burst of movement, they snapped open and launched him into the air, barely able to snag Shinichi by his arm as he shot up way above the dragon, leaving only a few feathers fluttering to the ground in place of where they were previously standing and watched the dragon's maw clamp down upon them, just a millisecond too slow to catch the both of them.

So now here they were, KID hovering in the air some ten metres above an - even more - enraged dragon and unable to land on any trees - because the dragon would just knock it down again so why try? - while struggling to sustain the weight of both him and Shinichi, beads of sweat slowly emerging on his forehead as Shinichi tried his best to think of a solution to this untimely predicament as well as ignoring the burning, ache-y pain that flowed from his shoulder, tail twitching in agitation and thinking with his utmost concentration but ultimately coming up with… absolutely nothing. Just great.

What were they going to do now?

 **X**

 **A/N: The ending is bad, not going to lie. I'm going to post this right now and get some sleep (only 9.22 p.m. but I am so tired) then go over this chapter the next day. If you liked it then leave a review, favourite and follow for more chapters! Thanks!**

 **Edit: The above message still applies though I am less tired and more inspired than before.**

 **Have a nice day!**

 **-SilvCyanide**


	2. Chapter 1

**The Journey To Save A Princess: Chapter 1.**

 **Notes: Nothing! :D**

 **Summary:** A freak accident involving a jewel, the moon and KID sends Shinichi tumbling down the metaphorical rabbit hole to end up in a dark forest with no idea on how to get home - or if he could even go home for the matter. Added to that, he's got a pair of brown ears and a tail and KID has somehow sprouted wings! This certainly can't be happening to him… Right?

 **Warnings:** Don't know if it really matters but the three OCs appear this chapter and then there will be no more appearing.

 **Started: 21/11/15**

 **Completed: 23/11/15**

 **Revised: 23/11/15**

 **X**

Things were not looking good.

Shinichi felt the anxiety bubbling in his chest rise with each passing second, all too aware of the giant - luckily - land bound dragon stomping around angrily in the undergrowth. The metallic scent of blood permeated the surrounding air and Shinichi was near choking on the smell. Constantly, infuriated roars resounded and Shinichi just knew that the dragon was waiting for them to descend before pouncing and ripping them into shreds.

Shinichi was also very aware of KID's waning strength, feeling them dip down toward the ground before flying back up again, KID's wing beats - still can't get used to that - slowing as the time passed. The exertion was too much for KID to handle, having to keep the weight of two people suspended in the air was no easy feat when you just suddenly received your wings after all. KID's face streamed with sweat and his cheeks were tinged with a deep red flush. His breath came out in shallow pants and his eyes began to look unfocused with exhaustion, a terrible sign since judging by his body's movements, he would soon be unable to take the strain and fall unconscious, sending the both of them crashing into the forest floor. If the fall didn't kill them on impact then it was assured that the dragon would.

Shinichi found that no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't think of a method and it was frustrating. He could deduce a murderer's identity with ease but when it came to actually taking down his opponent, he admitted that there was little he could do except kick a ball at them and hope they fall unconscious from the impact or shoot a tranquilizer dart at them to forcefully make them fall asleep. An impossible thing this time around considering that this dragon's cranium seemed to be made out of a material similar to stone or iron, the gleaming gray spikes and knobbly skin taunting him with his inability to do anything to the beast.

Caught up in the situation as it were, his veins rushed with adrenaline and he lost track of his surroundings. An unknown amount of time had passed since KID had temporarily taken flight to save them from danger and Shinichi found his ears twitching, swiveling instinctively to the right as he caught wind of a faint rustling coming from the trees in that direction and quickly growing louder as if whoever - or whatever - had created that noise was advancing towards them.

A slight shift from his arm caught Shinichi's attention and with slight horror, he found that due to the sweat trickling down KID's arm into his hand, he was slowly losing the grip he had on Shinichi's hand and despite his best efforts to keep hold, KID's hand lost its grip on Shinichi's arm completely and Shinichi found himself falling almost painfully slowly towards the ready jaw of the dragon…

... only to have a black shadow dart out from the trees and catch him by his shirt just before he reached the ground, only a scant few feet above the dragon's maw. A flurry of feathers later - this time black and not white - and Shinchi found himself plopped down onto a massive tree with KID following suit quickly enough, still dazed with his clothes ruffled like he had been roughly manhandled in a feat to get him to safety faster.

The black blur then slowed to a stop on a neighbouring tree branch from its amazingly fast flying to reveal an ebony-winged man - teen? - dressed in deep purple robes with an odd piece of purple cloth that had an eye on it tied over one eye. He had dark, pitch black hair and his eyes (or rather, eye) from what Shinichi could see was a cold, piercing topaz, a colour that could not possibly be natural but hey, this world - because they obviously weren't in their own world anymore - had _dragons_ so yellow eyes probably weren't all that spectacular.

What happened next could only be called a dance and Shinichi could see KID's eyes widen minutely - Poker Face was still in effect even in this foreign world - as the unknown person's wings spread out (slightly smaller than KID's, they only reached his calves, interesting) to their full width and with a powerful jump, he took to the air with a pair of small but beautifully detailed black daggers in his hands and a faint layer of black energy (?) surrounding the blade. Faster than the eye could see, he spun in the air and along with a black flash, countless cuts criss-crossed the dragon's hide, joining the several tens of others already slashed into the dragon's body and causing blood to spurt out into the air. Shinichi felt nausea rolling in his stomach at the sight.

Suddenly, the dragon let out a high-pitched screech and _rocks rose into the air_ , the shards shooting toward the person who reacted just a moment too slowly, unable to avoid all of them. However, just as Shinichi thought the person was definitely going to be impaled, a chill permeated the air and a thick layer of ice appeared before the winged figure and the shards of rock embedded themselves deep inside the ice, unable to break through.

 _Where exactly did the ice come from…?_

Shinichi got his answer soon enough when a bell-like, almost feminine voice rang out, shouting a query at the man,

"Riysen, are you alright? The rocks didn't hit you, right?"

From the same direction as the man - apparently named Riysen - appeared yet another figure, this time dressed in aqua-blue robes with sandy brown hair and sepia-coloured eyes. A necklace of shells encircled his head and clinked together when he tilted his head. A thin chain hung from his neck and attached to the end of the chain was a small amber jewel about the size of a coin and glowing softly. The new figure was smiling softly and Riysen gave a brief nod at him, eyes constantly riveted on the dragon. The second man then lifted up one hand and literally _wrote_ in the air, glowing runes being drawn one by one by the glowing tip of a finger. After sketching out five or six symbols, he flicked his forefinger at the glowing runes and they merged together before forming a cloud of frost that surrounded the dragon. Shinichi watched with morbid fascination as the blood flowing from its many wounds slowed to a trickle and froze, causing the beast to cry out in pain. With its movements effectively restrained, all it took to end its life was a well aimed plunged of Riysen's daggers into its skull, cutting through the thick, gray skin like a knife through butter and sending blood flying into the air. Shinichi felt even more nauseated at that scene and a quick glance to his left told him that KID was feeling much the same.

"So, what is a lycanthrope and angel doing in the Twilight Forest if you can't even defend yourselves?"

A wary voice, masked with casualness sounded out to Shinichi's right and both he and KID turned to look so quickly that Shinichi felt his neck ache slightly. Unbeknownst to the both of them - even KID! - a short teen with pointed ears - was he an elf? - was sitting with one leg drawn up and staring at them with dark, chocolate-brown eyes. He had a red bow slung across his back, the bowstring an odd, crystal-like white and a knife strapped to the back of the line of pouches at his waist. A tattered olive-green scarf was wound around his neck and he was wearing a sleeveless, vest like shirt made out of something like leather - of what kind, one could only guess - and a pair of shorts. Strangely enough, he wasn't wearing any shoes and only had long strips of green ribbon bound around each foot, stretching up to his thighs.

Very nearly falling out of the tree, Shinichi could only manage a very confused 'huh?' and saw the other person raise an eyebrow at his fumble. KID cut in at that moment, eyes serious and tone heavy which put all three of the newcomers on edge.

"You may not believe us, but we're not from this world."

 **X**

"So what you're saying is that the both of you suddenly appeared in the Twilight Forest after holding an emerald up to the full moon?"

This sentence was spoken in an incredulous tone accompanied by eyebrows raised so high they disappeared behind the light brown-haired man's - who introduced himself as Aegis - fringe. Currently they were gathered around a campfire near the edge of said forest which was apparently so huge that it spanned nearly a third of the entire continent of Itos, the continent that they were currently on.

KID - Kaito, as Shinichi found out after he introduced himself - nodded and raked a hand through his hair, clearly looking uncomfortable with the current situation. Aegis was silent for a moment, mulling over what they had just explained to the three of them and deliberating over whether he should trust them or not. Finally he looked up and smiled at them,

"Alright, I believe you and we'll do our best to help you. For now, would you like to travel with us?"

Shinichi had originally prepared to further convince them and was shocked when Aegis had so readily agreed. His tail swished in the air and his ears twitched slightly. He looked over to Kaito, asking for his opinion.

"Don't worry, this offer isn't a trap."

A slightly timid voice spoke up and Shinichi looked up to see a red-haired figure currently picking at his piece of roasted magical beast meat. He was wearing a half set of armour, silver in colour and edged with red. His eyes were a bright crimson that matched his hair and he had a nervous smile on his face. An azure bandanna was tied around his head and his long hair was braided into a single tight braid that ran down to his waist. His pair of black wings were trembling and every once in awhile a feather would detach itself to fall to the ground which was already littered with countless feathers though they had said not to worry since all that was happening was him shedding the loose feathers. Shinichi still couldn't believe that this was the same person who had killed that dragon without flinching and whose eyes had caused a shiver to run down his spine from the lack of warmth within them. Riysen, although he also had wings, was a fallen angel, different from Kaito who they called an angel. Fallen angels were a persecuted race for being a mutation from the angel race, able to use darkness magic but not light as opposed to angels being able to use only light and not darkness. According to them, Riysen was the very last member of the fallen angels and also trained in fire to conceal his identity, the wings being no problem as very rarely would angels be born with black wings but it still happened.

Looking at Kaito, Shinichi saw him nod slightly and took a deep breath, not sure if he was going to be making the wrong decision or not, before he answered.

"We would like to accept your offer."

 **X**

 **A/N: What do you think about this chapter? Let me know what you think about my OCs as well, thanks! Please review, favourite and follow.**

 **Have a nice day!**

 **-SilvCyanide**


	3. Chapter 2

**The Journey To Save A Princess: Chapter 2.**

 **Notes: I'm sorry for taking so long but I also get a feeling that this won't matter** _ **that much**_ **because this story, unlike 'That Which Binds Us', doesn't have as much interest. There is a major information dump in this chapter and again, I'm sorry but this is necessary otherwise you won't know what goes on after if I don't explain the terms right now. Anyways, without further ado here is the next chapter.**

 **Summary:** A freak accident involving a jewel, the moon and KID sends Shinichi tumbling down the metaphorical rabbit hole to end up in a dark forest with no idea on how to get home - or if he could even go home for the matter. Added to that, he's got a pair of brown ears and a tail and KID has somehow sprouted wings! This certainly can't be happening to him… Right?

 **Started: 27/11/15**

 **Completed: 28/11/15**

 **Revised: -/-/-**

 **X**

After that hectic first day in this strange world, the days quickly passed by as peacefully as was possible when in a forest filled with dangerous magical beasts. Nine days had passed since the emerald had dropped both Kaito and him into this place and although Kevak - the elf - had previously stated that they were at the edge of the Twilight Forest, the sheer size of the forest meant that it would take even the fastest scout - which specialized in speed - a minimum of five days to exit the trees, to say nothing of their band of five.

Over the days, Shinichi discovered quite a few things about their three companions and about the world they were currently in. Unlike their own world, this world had mythical beasts and things that seemed to come out of an MMORPG game. They were currently on the continent of Itos, the second largest continent in the Cloud Drop Seas, the largest being a hostile country that placed importance on military strength rather than intercontinental relations. The relationship between Itos and that country, named Xer, was tense and hostilities simmered beneath the surface, there were even rumors that yet another war was brewing on the horizon. Only a century ago did the past war between the Humans and the alliance of Feys and Beasts ended - in the Humans' victory - after much bloodshed and the truce between the races were brittle.

Despite all the hostility, there was something that all three races had in common and that was the Adventurers. The Adventurers, as can be gathered from the name, was a classification for people, be it humans, fey or beasts that actively venture into dangerous, magical beast-filled locations to kill them for their parts which could be sold for Dien coins, the currency of this country. As Adventurers needed to travel to different parts of the continent to hunt different beasts, they needed a safe location to stay in and trade without fear of being attacked. Thus, the ruling clans of the three main races came together and established the Adventurer's Guild. Every prospective adventurer would have to apply at any Adventurer's Guild which were set up in every major town or city while paying a fee of ten silver Dien and take a test to see if their mana in a certain element was sufficient to reach the first rank. They would then either be rejected or accepted, receiving a silver badge with their corresponding rank in stars in the center of the badge. There were ten ranks, with the lowest being zero and the highest being nine. The ranks went in the order of Apprentice, then Elementary, Regular, Intermediate, Advanced, Master, Grandmaster, Elder, Grand Elder and finally Seraph.

On the subject of Adventurers, there were primarily five different classes of Adventurers, warrior, mage, archer, assassin and cleric. Each Adventurer had an element they trained and honed, a total of seven different elements existing in the world. They were as followed,

Fire - Wild and unrestrained, best for offensive roles

Water - Gentle and soothing but also vicious, best for auxiliary roles

Earth - Steadfast and firm, best for defensive roles

Lightning - Fast and hard hitting, best for scouting roles

Wind - Fluid and speedy, best for supporting roles

Light - Soothing and warm, best for healing roles

Dark - Cold and silent, best for stealth roles

Aegis had previously mentioned to an enraptured Shinichi - he had eagerly taken in all the information provided - as well as an interested Kaito - who secretly was almost bouncing in excitement but tantei- _kun_ was here - that he himself was a water mage of the Grandmaster rank, Kevak being an earth-affinity archer of the Master rank and Riysen being a darkness-affinity assassin of the Master rank and a fire-affinity warrior of the Advanced rank, which would explain the difference in appearance and personality. The fire element caused his hair to turn a bright red while the darkness element, being his inborn element, wouldn't cause any change to his appearance and personality. It was strange, the Riysen that Shinichi had gotten to know was a timid young man but in actuality he was a cold and stoic person who didn't like to speak more than necessary.

Kevak had interjected then while Aegis muttered vaguely about how Shinichi and Kaito would possibly have a great affinity to an element, making it easier for them to train in said element. Kevak had said that it wasn't possible for fey and beasts, which could only be born in a certain range of months tied to their element to train in the opposing element while humans were innately affinity-less and had the overwhelming advantage to train in as many elements as they wanted. That was also the reason why Aegis would never be able to train in fire and even have his attacks become weak when going up against a fire-affinity beast or person. Kevak would never be able to train in lightning and Riysen would never be able to train in light.

The two world-hoppers had learned the other miscellaneous, not as important details of their new world - edible plants, fungi, the terms for some items - over the course of their journey back to the town and Shinichi had observed Kaito watching Aegis meditate near a calm pond with interest, and Shinichi himself had to admit that he had entertained the idea of asking Riysen to teach him how to use daggers. Even though they had travelling companions who would protect them, Shinichi couldn't completely trust them considering they were near complete strangers and he knew Kaito felt the same way. It would be better if they learned to defend themselves and fast. With that thought in mind, Shinichi resolved to ask for training from Riysen when they reached the nearest town.

 **X**

Much suffering had befallen Shinichi and Kaito, who were unused to staying in the wilderness before they finally spotted the cobblestone walls of the town, the bustle of the streets filtering into Shinichi's sharp ears. A glance to the side told Shinichi that their companions also knew that they were nearing the town and as they walked past the gates to the town, he noticed dirty looks and glares being shot at their party while disjointed whispers drifted to his ears.

" _-mned fey, daring to step into the tow-"_

" _-hy don't they just leav-"_

" _-isgusting savages, no ide-"_

Shuffling uncomfortably, Shinichi noticed Kaito's face harden into a mask, eyes blank and a bland smile playing on his lips. The reaction of the other three made it apparent, however, that this was a normal occurrence and discrimination of feys and beasts in human towns were nothing uncommon.

Walking fast, Aegis led them to a large, wooden building that looked like a cross between a museum and a tavern, a sign with crossed swords over a shield painted on it hanging above the door.

"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild."

He intoned calmly, voice clear as ringing bells despite the dirty, muffled words constantly being tossed at them. Shinichi had even noticed an infuriated butcher brandishing his meat cleaver at him, gesturing wildly. Pushing open the door, Aegis walked up to the counter, the rest of the four trailing after him and spoke with the receptionist - a vixen-like woman with bright red hair and an almost unnoticeable pair of black horns protruding from the sides of her forehead - for a few moments before she bowed and gestured to an innocuous wooden door, one of many that were placed behind her and inclined her head, evidently wanting them to follow her.

When Shinichi entered the room, he let out a loud gasp of amazement at the hovering crystal placed on a dark, obsidian-like podium in the center of the room. The crystal was about the size of a fortune teller's crystal ball and shaped like one. It was softly glowing a multitude of colours, reds mixed with blues and yellows with black and white interwoven within. It radiated a soft glow and Shinichi found himself riveted on the shining surface. He almost missed Aegis beginning to speak to him and Kaito.

"This is an Elemental Crystal, a rare crystal that is naturally created in places with high elemental density and just by simply putting a hand on the crystal, you can find out your affinity to the elements."

 **X**

Aegis beckoned Kaito forward and Kaito walked over to the crystal more calmly than he actually felt, his wings trembling and the feathers shivered over the back of his ankle, tickling him slightly and sending a few stray feathers drifting to the ground.

Taking a deep breath, he stretched out a hand and gingerly placed it on the crystal, nothing happening for one second before it shone a blinding white, almost as if one of his flashbangs had gone off (that wasn't possible, the emerald had somehow switched his clothes and all his gadgets disappeared with them) and engulfed the whole room. In the white light, there were streams of green that mixed with white and created the appearance of sea snakes swimming through water. He was stunned, not knowing what this meant and a subtle glance at the staff as well as Aegis, Kevak and Riysen told him that they also hadn't expected such a strong reaction.

"E-exceptionally high affinity for light, low affinity for wind."

A shaky voice emerged from a withered old man standing to the side, his eyes wide as saucers and his body shaking faintly, looking as if he was going to collapse any moment.

"T-this probably only occurs once-in-a-million, a truly rare talent!"

 **X**

Shinichi didn't expect that Kaito would actually have such an exceptional affinity for light but once the shock faded, he was genuinely happy for the teen. Although they were rivals on the opposites sides of the law, after spending time and getting to get to know the man behind the monocle, he had grudgingly admitted that he had grown on him, becoming slightly more than rivals yet less than friends. That didn't mean that he couldn't be happy for him after all. Having good talent for an element just meant that their chances of surviving and finding a way back home were higher.

Kaito stepped back and resumed his original position beside Shinichi, twirling one of his feathers between two fingers with a pensive expression on his face.

Shinichi walked up to the crystal ball, the bright light having faded and gone back to its original state. Staring at the swirl of colours for a moment, Shinichi then lifted up a hand and placed it on the cool surface of the crystal ball.

 **X**

 **A/N: Mua ha ha! Cliffhanger! What do you think Shinichi's element will be? And what affinity do you think he will have, exceptionally low, moderately low, low, average, moderately high, high or exceptionally high? Please lkeave it in a review and favourite plus follow. Thanks!**

 **Have a nice day!**

 **-SilvCyanide**


	4. Chapter 3

**The Journey To Save A Princess: Chapter 3.**

 **Notes: As I thought, I really can't stay away from fanfiction. It is my not-so-guilty pleasure after all and I really do enjoy updating my stories and reading reviews. So you get one chapter of 'The Journey To Save A Princess' and maybe one of 'That Which Binds Us' in the middle of my hectic mid-holiday revision period.**

 **Summary:** A freak accident involving a jewel, the moon and KID sends Shinichi tumbling down the metaphorical rabbit hole to end up in a dark forest with no idea on how to get home - or if he could even go home for the matter. Added to that, he's got a pair of brown ears and a tail and KID has somehow sprouted wings! This certainly can't be happening to him… Right?

 **Started: 11/12/15**

 **Completed: 17/12/15**

 **Revised: -/-/-**

 **X**

Shinichi could safely say that he belonged on the side of the law and abhorred murderers and those who committed heinous crimes for their own selfish pleasure so he had always considered himself a fairly… light, individual. Seeing as quite possibly the element you had an affinity to affected your personality to some degree, references being the calm and gentle, Aegis, the silent and aloof Riysen yet with a bright and warm side as well as the unassuming yet reliable Kevak from what he could tell of them in the short time they had traveled together.

(His mind helpfully informed him that despite what he wanted to think, Kaito wasn't all that bad and despite being a thief, he didn't really do what constituted as 'evil' so having light as his element wasn't very surprising. _Shut up_ , he told his mind because he didn't want to think about the fondness he had been feeling recently for the other teen even before they were transported here.)

 _Ahem._

Regardless, this was not the time for introspective thoughts and he better refocus his attention on the crystal ball in front of him. Snapping to himself, Shinichi watched in fascination at having a chance to see the crystal at work up close and possibly figure out _how_ exactly it worked beyond just simply 'magic'. He put his hand on the cool, almost chilled surface and felt as if something was hooking itself onto his midsection and yanking something out - gently though and with no pain, instead sending a rush of warmth flowing through the arm touching the crystal ball and causing it to light up just as brightly as Kaito's although in a _much_ different way.

If it was at all possible, it glowed black with a fierce intensity that was interwoven with sparse threads of fiery red and just the faintest hint of green. The colours danced in the confines of the crystal ball, seemingly wanting to break free and Shinichi heard someone take a deep breath. Belatedly, he realised it was him even as he removed his hand and the lightshow came to a sudden and abrupt end. Casting a look around, he took in the shocked faces and felt slightly concerned for the wizened old man who looked nigh about to faint on his feet for the second time, a few stunted words wheezed out amongst shuddering breaths.

"D-d-darkness element, e-ex-ceptionally high. Fire e-element, m-moderately low a-a-and w-wind element exceptionally l-low."

Shinichi stole a glance at Kaito to see his reaction but found out that the other teen's face was almost unreadable and felt slightly startled at the honestly unexpected reaction.

"It appears that there is more to you than we thought…"

The words were spoken by a warm and calming voice and Shinichi rested his gaze on Riysen who had a small smile on his face while Aegis was staring at them with a blank look, unnatural for the seemingly gentle and mild-mannered man while Kevak was muttering under his breath to himself. Shinichi didn't bother to reply as he almost unconsciously took his place beside Kaito, lost in his own thoughts of the weird look on Aegis's face. Aegis had by then regained control of his expression and gestured towards the door, usual smile on his face.

"Well then, I think we're done here. Would you like to walk around the marketplace?"

 **X**

The marketplace couldn't really be called a marketplace. Instead, it would be more apt to call it a bazaar. Small stands were draped in garish colours and literally dripping in decorative stones, shells and bead with plump merchants standing behind them, displaying varying wares that ranged from unusual-but-not-uncommon to worth-quite-a-pretty-penny and bulky bodyguards of different races and, occasionally, starved-looking slaves wearing threadbare clothing and wooden boards hanging around their necks denoting a price sitting on the dirty cobblestone floor. These slaves were usually unusual looking members of the beast or fey races and young children at that, treated as more of a possession and a trophy than actual functioning members of society. Shinichi felt as if he were going to be sick at the display of blatant human-trafficking that was apparently perfectly legal and he could feel Kaito tense up beside him, powerful wings quivering in barely contained rage hidden well behind an impenetrable Poker Face. The subtle clenching of fists and gritting of teeth told him that their companions felt the same way.

As they walked deeper inwards, the sight of slaves grew rarer until they completely disappeared and more magical beast parts appeared on the velvet-clad tabletops. What was scary and even more infuriating than the slaves, however, were small tags placed before certain jars and items that proudly proclaimed the item as 'Advanced-ranked Angel's Wing' or 'Regular-ranked Lycanthrope's Eyes' and Shinichi felt disgust well up inside him. These people didn't have an ounce of humanity despite being actual humans and would resort to such a vile manner to earn money. Aegis seemed to be the most affected out of the other three and Shinichi watched his face carefully, ears pressed flat against his skull and tail bristling in anger.

Disgust, anger and hatred flashed across the older man's face, eyes partially shadowed by sepia-coloured hair and unable to be seen. What Shinichi _could_ see of his face, however, proved to be curious to say the least. There was a well-hidden (but not well enough, chasing after KID really raised your observation skills) and deep-set sorrow that went far beyond normal mourning for the deceased. It spoke of someone who had experienced such losses before and was still hurting from it. It was not a reaction one would expect.

 _Appearances are deceiving…_

Suddenly, Aegis stiffened, palpable tension emanating from his still form. as his head tilted slowly to the side before in a burst of motion and bloodlust that seemed scarily unnatural on the gentle man, he ducked into another lane with Riysen and Kevak exchanging glances before sprinting after him. Shinichi felt Kaito tug at his arm, unspoken words between them before he followed suit, both wary and yet intrigued at what caused such a change over the water mage. Unfurling his wings, Kaito grinned widely in mischief at Shinichi - hardly any consolation for what he was about to do - and snagged him by the armpits before rocketing into the sky and leaving a shower of long, brush-like feathers over the crowd below who looked up in both disdain and fascination, depending on the age and race of said person on the receiving end.

Shinichi's flailed slightly at the disconcerting sense of groundlessness while Kaito, as expected, looked perfectly at home in the air. His wings had doubtlessly increased in strength since that first day and he could now carry two people's worth of weight for an indefinite amount of time though his speed would be greatly reduced. Although this was a comforting thought (they were more likely to successfully escape from danger unlike with that dragon) it only served to further remind them how long they had spent away from their home. Up ahead, a black-and-red shadow flitted into the air while a brown figure leapt up onto the roofs of the building and began to run, the low mutterings being exchanged between the two letting Shinichi know that they were indeed Riysen and Kevak who had taken to the skies and rooftops respectively to better track Aegis (how did the mage run so fast? Weren't mages supposed to have low stamina and speed or something? At least that was how the games usually went). The water mage was hard to make out in the crowd though and Shinichi was struggling to track his rapidly moving figure.

Kaito didn't seem to have such a problem though by some magical (HaHa) phantom-thief-sixth-sense and flew the both of them through a veritable maze of streets until they arrived in a large circular plaza, Riysen and Kevak already there and watching the scene unfolding down below from the shadows of some eaves. There was a commotion in the plaza and the elf-plus-fallen-angel barely glanced up at them as they landed, eyes riveted on one blue-clad figure amongst the many earthy colours of the villagers. There was a massive stage in the middle of the plaza and a horrifically fat moustached man was currently bumbling around, folds of fat jiggling as he waved a plump, jewel adorned arm at the crowd while his two bodyguards stood at attention and a 'servant' wearing little more than rags with shackle encircling his ankles and wrist, a matted black tail twisted around one of his legs and triangular ears that looked to be clipped at the tips and were bleeding slightly shuffled forward, back hunched in an attempt to look smaller as he presented a tray to the merchant ( _scum_ , Shinichi thought, angered) who picked up the object lying on the cold metal. Shinichi had to strain his ears to their maximum before he could hear what the man was saying and he helpfully repeated it to Kaito who didn't have as sharp hearing as he did.

"Next, we have a special treat! This is a merfolk life scale acquired from a merman who was found in the ocean on the edge of Terios. He was travelling alone and going alone was obviously asking to be killed, don't you think?"

The crowd roared rambunctiously and Shinichi spat those words out, watching the myriad of emotions flutter across the other three faces. Even from this height, Shinichi could see glimmers of greed shining in the eyes of some wealthy-looking merchants and adventurers and Aegis looked to be barely repressing his anger, a murderous aura emanating from him. How unusual, he hadn't shown such emotion before… Maybe the scale belonged to someone he knew.

"This one was a feisty one and it took three of our warriors at the Master rank to finally take it down. Just look at the colour on the scale. It was evidently on the verge of breaking into the Master rank and this scale will be very useful in the creation of some magic treasures. Merfolk are greatest at water and ice magic and this scale will be best used in mage staffs and robes!"

Here he held up the scale and the crowd roared in excitement. The scale was a beautiful aqua blue that had a tinge of lavender at the edges and looked much like a petal of a flower. It also had a certain aura about it and Shinichi had to admit that it looked… magical. A chill, almost unnoticeable, permeated the air and instantly his eyes darted to Aegis who had his head bowed and hair shadowing his face. Interestingly, nobody seemed to notice his extreme reaction, much preferring to continue listening to the smug merchant.

The chill steadily grew stronger and Shinichi found himself rubbing at his arm to stave away the cold, Kaito having wrapped his wings around his own body when suddenly, it stopped and Shinichi saw that Aegis had managed to suppress his anger, a good thing. It wouldn't be too good to cause a scene here.

"-for fifty gold Dien coins!"

Shinichi caught the tail end of the merchant's words and heard a sharp intake from beside him. Kevak was muttering again, this time about something like 'such an exorbitant price' and 'most people wouldn't be able to afford it'. Shinichi could gather that this was a very, very high price.

So it was to his absolute astonishment that when nobody stepped forward when they had previously been fighting over the scale until they heard the price tag, it was _Aegis_ who had walked over to the stage and throw a pouch onto the stage which spilled over on impact and glistening gold coins littered the stage. The merchant smiled widely at Aegis, reminiscent of the cat that ate the canary. Aegis ignored him, picking up the scale from the tray and turning around, walking off while the merchant swept the coins up before bringing out the next item, some rainbow root or something.

 _How strange, Aegis doesn't seem to be the type to splurge like that. What on earth is going on with him and that scale?_

 **X**

 **A/N: The quality got really substandard at the end there but the next chapter, I promise there will be more action and they will finally leave the town to the next location. My question for this chapter is, if you have noticed, I haven't mentioned what species Aegis is so can anybody tell me what species you think Aegis is as well as who the owner of the scale is to him. The closest answer will receive one KaiShin fic request from me. Any prompt you want rated K-T. It's just for fun and I want to see if subtlety is my strong trait (probably not). Anyways, please leave a review as well as favourite and follow. Thanks!**

 **Have a nice day!**

 **-SilvCyanide**


End file.
